


Snakes Always Bite Back

by Lady_JB



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Crimes & Criminals, F/F, F/M, Gangs, Illegal Activities, Organized Crime, Slow Romance, Underage Drinking, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-06-12 15:05:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15342456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_JB/pseuds/Lady_JB
Summary: October Monroe and her family moved to Riverdale to start over, but the Southside Sepernts remind her of something she wasn't ready to give up.





	1. Chapter 1

_A large duffle was pushed in my arms “Toby, I need you to take this and get in the car with your brother.” My mom’s face was struggling to look serious but panic was screaming from her brown eyes. I hesitated, bag in hand. “Go now!” she screamed. I ran out the door to where my twin brother, Bash, sat in my black ‘69 Mustang. No sooner had I thrown the duffle in the back seat and slid into the passenger was he taking off out of our neighborhood. I got a text from my mom “I love you”._

 

The alarm started pounding and I sat up slowly in bed. It’s not like I was asleep anyway, all of that had happened 3 months ago and I still thought about it every day. We lost a lot that night, our house, Bash’s car, even ourselves; but the biggest thing lost was our mom. The duffle, you may be wondering, had money in it. Lots of money. 

Moving to Riverdale two weeks ago was a part of a promise from my dad. He swore that he and Mom wanted to get us out of “his lifestyle” and start over and what better place than the middle of nowhere where no one knows us? He reopened his mechanic shop in South Side, I gave my brother my car, and we were supposed to play our parts in order to fit in and not have anyone ask any questions. “Things are going to be better, Princess. I promise” my dad kept saying and I chose to believe it, even if it felt like the kind of lie you tell kids so they aren’t scared of the dentist. 

I stared at my closet for way too long. We’d lived our whole lives in Atlanta, I had never had to deal with a new school with people I didn’t know, I felt pressured to fit in, to be liked, to play my part. I settled for dark tights, a black skater skirt, a maroon sweater that fit just off my freckled shoulders, and black booties. I ran my fingers through my dark brown hair that fell in loose waves about 5 inches past my shoulders and shrugged, it would have to do. I knew I didn’t have time to style it and brushing would make it look very close to a 1980s Tina Turner. 

I glanced at the clock, 7:35 glowed back at me.

_Shit, only 5 minutes ‘til we had to leave._

I threw on some mascara and dark lipstick and ran down the stairs to the kitchen. My brother, was already at the table probably eating his third bowl of cereal. “Christ Toby took you long enough.” He said as he threw a room temperature Eggo at me. I scrunched my face in a taunting response and bit into the waffle. “Where’s Dad?” 

“He left for the shop maybe fifteen minutes ago? Said for us to not do anything he wouldn’t do.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes “Which is basically don’t get caught?” He dangled his keys “Basically. Grab your coat we need to go.” I pulled my leather jacket and beanie off the coat hook by the door and walked out the door to his car. It used to be my car, but I was okay with him having it. Especially after that night. We got in and headed off towards Riverdale High. 

Things were so different here than they were in Atlanta. It was freezing, tiny, everyone knew each other, and there was this weird time warp feel as if it was still stuck in the 50s. Bash looked over at me from the driver’s seat and my brain shifted from Riverdale to how much he needed a haircut as his dark brown bangs drifted into his eyes. “Tobes, you listening?”

_had he been talking?_

“Nope, wasn’t listening at all. What?” 

“I was sayin’ we need to join some normal group activities and make friends and stuff. Dad is still under investigation and messing with cars, gambling, and partying probably can’t help.”

I slid down in my seat “What am I supposed to do, join the cheer squad?” I was sarcastic, definitely not my scene. 

“Cheer, band, art. Doesn’t really matter..” he trailed off. Back in Atlanta, Bash and I were inseparable, and when he started getting into fixing up cars with Dad, I followed him into the shop getting my hands just as greasy. So, when we hit fifteen and he started racing the cars we fixed up, I couldn’t be outdone and started doing it too. We would spend our weekends in the shop, fixing up our cars and take them out to races. Flashes of parties we were definitely too young to be at, our parents handing us money to bet with and smiling when we won, our friends who became like family, pizza nights in the shop. We’d have to give most of that up now and it sucked.

“I’ll figure something out I guess” he smiled his crooked smile and pulled the car into a parking space in Riverdale High’s parking lot. We sat there for probably 5 minutes on our phone, neither one of us wanting to be the one to suggest we get out. Finally, Bash sighed and put his phone down. 

“Dude, we gotta go in.” 

“But I don’t wannaa...” I whined like a toddler. I knew we needed to, but if I was being honest (which I wasn’t) I was nervous. 

Apparently, I wasn’t the only nervous one, Bash’s head was down and he pulled his hoodie closer to his body as we walked towards the front doors. There were so many eyes on us, people trying to figure out who we were, I could tell Bash was just as uncomfortable as I was. 

_Okay Tobes, you need to step up I guess._

I took a deep breath, lifted my head in confidence and shoved Bash’s arm gently “Hey nerd, it’ll be fine.” I said with a smile and he half smiled back 

“Yeah, I guess.” 

“More Southsiders?” the lady at the front office said with a sneer she didn’t even attempt to hide. 

I pulled back a little “Um, no ma’am” there was a hint of a southern drawl, no hiding my accent now. “We’re transfer students, from Atlanta.” 

“Names?”

“Sebastian and October Monroe” 

She looked back and forth between us “Twins?” we nodded “Twins don’t last long in Riverdale.” She said as she handed us our class schedules.

“Uh.. thank you?” I grabbed the papers and looked at Bash curiously. He shrugged as we both eyed our papers as soon as we were out of the office.

“Looks like we’re together for all but two classes,” Bash said just as the bell rang “And I guess late to our first.” 

We didn’t even bother rushing to find the classroom, I think we were both dreading being there, a little shy despite the mask of confidence I was wearing. “283, Chemistry, Mr. Walker...” we both looked at the number on the glass window of the door “Okay, let’s fucking do this.” I held my pinky up to Bash who grabbed it with his own pinky. An unspoken gesture that we were in it together, something we had done since childhood. 

As we stepped in, lots of people sat up at their desks. A mixture of excitement, curiosity, and boredom filled the air. The teacher was in the middle of speaking and looked a little annoyed “Can I help you?”  
“Yeah uhh..” I swallowed hard as I could feel 30 pairs of eyes on me. This classroom was packed “We’re new.” I finished quickly. 

“Southside scum!” a buff boy from the back shouted. 

_What is wrong with this town?_

“They’re not one of us” a blonde girl in way too much flannel spoke up but with an equal amount of hate in her voice when she said ‘us’. 

“Yeah..” Bash trailed off trying to cut the tension in the room “We’re from Atlanta” 

The teacher sparked up “Right, right, right, apologies! I forgot we’ve had lots of changes around here lately. You’re Sebastian and October Monroe, yes?” 

“Bash, please.” my brother said, all shyness seemed to drain out of him completely where mine was buried but had no escape and was definitely still there “And she goes by Toby.”

Mr. Walker jotted down what I can only assume was our nicknames on his roster and looked around the room. “Looks like we’ll just have to shift to teams of 3 for you guys… let’s see. Jughead, you and Betty mind taking Ms. Toby here?”

They both smiled “Not at all Mr. Walker” 

“Uhh.. Toni. You and Seet Pea take Bash.” 

We took our seats and a redhead girl in a red sweater leaned over from the table beside me “Looks like your brother got the short end of the stick. Make sure he studies because, with THOSE lab partners, he’ll probably fail” I looked over to where Bash was sitting. He was already laughing with the two he was sitting with. The confidence and edgy vibes the pink haired girl and tall boy reminded me of our friends back home. The ones I was sitting with? Well, I felt like I got the short end of the stick here. “I think he’ll do better than you think.” 

“Ignore Cheryl,” the boy in a beanie at my table said with a subtle hatred in his eyes “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” The redhead rolled her eyes and slid back in her seat. 

The boy gestured to himself and the blonde “I’m Jughead and this is Betty” 

I smiled politely back “Toby Monroe” 

“Well, Toby, what brings you to sweet little Riverdale from a big city?” Betty asked as she organized the microscope slides in front of us 

I wasn’t really ready to answer this question. _Well, my family participated in some criminal activities and we decided this would be a good place to lay low?_

“We relocated for business. My dad owns a mechanic shop.” It wasn’t a complete lie, although it didn’t make hardly any sense as to how Riverdale could be better for business. But neither of them seemed to really question it. We did a few rounds of identifying samples as a group. I kept looking back over to Bash, he was already sharing numbers with the two at the table. Figures

“ You should totally audition for the Vixens” Betty perked up as we finished the assignment’s questions. 

“The what?” 

“Vixens. It’s our cheer team, I’m on it!” Betty had such an addictive smile 

“I uh..” I looked back at Bash thinking of our conversation earlier “Sure, why not?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah! You guys are actually reading my story?! This is my first fanfic, so thanks for all the support!

After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There were always one or two classmates who would introduce themselves and ask me how the move was, what was Atlanta like, or how was I enjoying Riverdale. I smiled politely and responded in kind, making new friends was hard and most of these kids didn’t look like anyone I knew back home.  


I sat next to, who I discovered to be Betty’s best friend, Veronica in both Spanish and History and she gave me tons of advice about trying out for the Vixens later that afternoon. I was surprised at how much I genuinely liked her. She had this air about her like you could do anything as long as you were with her. She walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch and we parted ways so I could grab a Coke and meet up with Bash.  


I sat at the end of an empty table but I could see Veronica's brunette hair and Betty’s ponytail sitting across the cafeteria. They must have sensed my eyes on them because Betty waved at me. 

_Should I have sat with them?_  


I smiled back and then pulled my phone out of my back pocket and started watching cheer videos on Youtube. Veronica and Betty had been more than helpful and promised to meet up with me during our free period to learn a routine, but if I was going to do this, I wanted to see what I was getting myself into. The more I watched the videos the more nervous I got, this definitely wasn’t Bring It On and sometimes I had a hard time touching my toes. 

  _Why am I nervous about something I don’t even care about? What is wrong with me?_

It didn’t take long before the cafeteria started to fill up and for Bash to appear at my table with enough food for three lunches. Following behind him were four additional bodies all clad in the same heavy black jacket. They all kind of looked the same in a strange way, although maybe it was just the air of rebellion they all seemed to wear. 

Of the three boys, one I immediately recognized as Jughead, still wearing his gray beanie. He was shorter than the other two but somehow seemed to lead the way with confidence. Directly behind Jughead was a tall boy I recognized as one of Bash’ Chemistry partners. He was tall, well over six feet, with dark hair that looked intentionally unkempt and a tattoo on his neck. The last boy was shorter than the second, but not by much. His straight hair perfectly framed his face and his body was sturdy. Like, I knew if I punched his stomach I would be met with some serious resistance. 

The girl trailed behind in the very back was someone I also recognized as Bash's third partner in Chemistry. Her hair was long with pink highlights and a kind and welcoming face. Her body was effortlessly fit and her skin a flawless golden tan. I wanted to be jealous of her and best friends with her all at the same time. 

My brother plopped his try down on the bench right in front of me and gestured his hand to each of the newcomers as he said their name.

“Toby, let me introduce you to Jughead, who I think you already know, Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Toni. Guys, this is my sister Toby” 

They all sat down at the table and muttered their nice-to-meet-yous. Sweet Pea sat down right next to me and we made eye contact, his gaze was filled with curiosity and dominance. I felt exposed and nervous and it caused me to fumble with twisting the lid to my Coke bottle off, it fell to the ground. 

_Right, you’re SO cool_

After I bent over and picked it up from under the table and glanced back at him, his face was turned away from facing me but I could see the pull of a cheek as if he were smiling a crooked grin. 

Bash stared at me for a couple of seconds 

“Why do you look so out of sorts?” 

_Shit, could he tell?_

“I uh, I agreed to try out for the cheer team...” I grumbled, putting my phone away, it’s not like it was really doing me any good.

“Ha! You?” Bash chucked “Dude, I wasn’t that serious about what I said earlier.” 

“I bet she’ll be great at it!” Toni perked up, her smile reminded me a little of Betty’s. 

“At least she has faith in me!” I pointed out to Bash “and I literally just met her!” 

Bash slumped back in his bench, a smirk on his face. I knew he wasn’t done.

“Well, at least eat something then” he retaliated by throwing a fry at me “no one wants a bitchy cheerleader.” 

I arched my eyebrow playfully “Fine, I will” I said with a smirk and reached across to nab his last remaining burger and stick it in my mouth. Bash’s mouth hung open “Rude!” I smiled as I triumphantly swallowed down the large bite I took. 

“Yo Bash, so are you in for tonight?” Sweet Pea asked, unwrapping a brownie. Apparently, he was a dessert midway through his meal kind of guy, which I found ~~adorable~~ to be a perfectly normal way to eat ones food.

My ears perked up “In?” 

“It’s just a stupid little poker game at the Whyte Wrym that some of the boys do sometimes.” Toni interjected. 

“And you’re playing?” my green eyes looking Bash up and down. He might be better than me with cars and sports but it was undeniable that I was the better poker player. “Without me?”

“It’s kind of an all-boys thing.” Fangs piped in. 

“Dude, I wouldn’t underestimate her.” Bash defended. Feeling guilty, are we? 

“No, no. It’s fine.” I lied “Can you at least stay a little later after school? Tryouts should be over by 4:00.”

“Yeah sure, no prob.” 

Suddenly I felt a couple of taps on my right shoulder and a feminine clear of the throat. It was Veronica “Could you, um, come with me, Toby? I wanted to talk to you about try-outs later” I looked from her to Bash to the rest at the table. They all just looked down, trying to avoid her gaze and look tough at the same time. 

“Uh.. sure. Bash, catch you after school? It was nice meeting you all!” I said that to the group but really only looked at Sweet Pea.

_Yuck! Stop being stupid, Tobes. Don’t be THAT sister._

Veronica grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her table with Betty and Archie. “What did you want to tell me?” I asked pulling my hand gently away from her. “I wanted to tell you that as much as I welcome the Southside to our humble Riverdale High, they’re probably not the best group for you to hang out with on your first day.” It was worded with the best intentions.

I looked back over to their table, now halfway across the cafeteria and sat down at the new table “Why?”

“They’re in a gang, Toby” this time it was Archie, his face serious 

“You mean because of their matching jackets?” I had seen that jacket around before, especially in Dad’s shop, but never really gave it a second thought. 

“No, they’re called the Southside Serpents. They’re a gang that-“ Betty was interrupted by Archie

“They helped kill before and with the new murderer out there, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re helping to kill again.” 

“A murderer?”

_Why the fuck hadn’t anyone said anything?_

“He goes by the black hood,” Betty said matter-of-factly. “He tried to kill Archie’s dad and has killed a few others. He hasn’t been caught” 

My mouth hung open a little “So much for moving to a small town”

 

* * *

I tugged at the navy shorts Betty let me borrow, nervous at how much leg I was showing. I was on the shorter side, 5’3 but looking at myself in these shorts I felt like I might as well be six foot. I did a little spin to look at my backside, not good enough. I bent over to touch my toes and looked at the mirror in the locker room. 

_Yep, so much ass. All ass._

This did not help to make me feel more confident with this stupid try-out. I pulled my hair into two small buns at the nape of my neck took a deep breath, and headed from the locker room to the gym. 

Cheryl sat in the middle between Veronica, Betty, and a girl I came to know as Josie. There were about a dozen other girls behind them, all in blue shorts and a yellow and white shirt like the one I was wearing. 

“Well, well, new girl, show us what you got.” Cheryl said confidently from her seat. 

I breathed deeply and started moving my body through the borderline seductive moves Betty and Veronica had shown me during our free period. My dad would totally kill me if he saw what I was doing. 

“Dominate and devastate we’ll blow you away  
Bulldogs are number one and we’re here to stay!”

I kicked my leg in the air and touched my toe with a large smile, a move I had seen before, probably in Bring It On.  
   
_Do cheerleaders even do that?_ I doubted myself, but hey, at least I gave it my all.

Betty and Veronica started clapping, Cheryl rolled her eyes and handed a clipboard to be passed around. 

“I see you learned one of our cheers…” Cheryl started as the clipboard made its way back to her and she glanced down at it with a smirk 

Yep, I didn’t make it. 

“I usually like to see originality in a cheerleader, but I guess I’m overruled. Toby, welcome to the Vixens.” 

My mouth dropped open. _Seriously?_


	3. Chapter 3

My life got pretty routine after that. On Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays I’d go to practice after school and then to Pop’s with Veronica and Betty. We’d have some milkshakes, talk about how weird her brother Chic was, and gossip. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Saturday I worked the front desk at the shop. When Bash wasn’t working at the shop, he seemed to only have more poker nights or movie nights or other things he was constantly up to. It was the first time since I could remember that Bash and I weren’t doing things together. That’s why I was a little more than annoyed when I got a text from my brother late Friday night 

_Will you cover my shift at the shop tomorrow? I have something really important I have to do._

We were supposed to close up early and all head out for Pickens Day together as a family. But he wasn’t even going to be there for that. 

I sent him a letter response. 

_K_

If he didn't before, now he knew I was mad. Here I was playing the role of the quintessential teenage daughter and he was doing whatever he’s been up to.

The next morning, I got up early, pulled my hair into a messy bun threw on some jeans, a dark green blouse, and some flats. Casual enough to greet customers at a mechanic shop but nice enough to go to the festival. My dad was sitting downstairs with a mug of coffee. There was nothing too remarkable about him, he wasn’t as nice looking as Mr. Lodge or at home as often as Mr. Cooper, but he was mine. He wore his usual Monroe Auto Shop embroidered blue polo tucked into dark jeans. His hair had been combed over and silver ever since I could remember, and he still wore his wedding band on his left hand. His brown eyes perked up over his coffee cup 

“Where’s Bash? Isn’t it his week?” 

“Nah, I…” It felt wrong, but I felt like I had to cover for him “I needed the extra cash.” 

My dad chuckled as he stood up “Well, between me and you, you’re way better at the front desk than he is.”  


* * *

Riding with my dad somehow always felt like I was a kid, he’d play oldies and we even still stopped for donuts.

“Hey, is Bash meeting us here or at the festival?” he asked as we drove towards the shop on Southside. 

“I think he’s meeting us there? I really don’t know.” Dad was quiet, he always did that when he was thinking. 

“Hey hon, who’s he hanging out with these days?”

My heart raced. I knew in my heart of hearts his friends were technically in a gang and had a bad rep. I knew that. However, what made these kids different than our friends back home? Besides, I wasn’t a narc. 

“Just some kids he's partners with in some classes. They’re nice” 

He looked over “Good kids, then?” 

“Yeah, sure” there it is, there’s the lie. 

He smiled “Good. I knew y'all would do great here.” 

I just looked out the window and watched the surroundings change from Northside to Southside. Things were different on the Southside. I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere alone and our shop had multiple locks and security systems in place, just in case. Yet, to be fair, we hadn’t even had an attempted burglary. 

The morning went by quickly. Several people in those familiar leather jackets came in for parts to their bikes, others from the Northside needed to schedule repairs or had last minute emergencies. But when 11:59 rolled around, I walked to the front door and just stood until the clock hit noon so I could turn the sign to “closed”. My Dad came out and held his elbow out for me to take as we headed out towards Pickens Day. 

* * *

The festival was packed. There seemed to be every person I ever met and their family there, but no Bash. We immediately went to one of the vendors and got a bag of cotton candy for myself and a candied apple for my dad. 

“And nothing for Bash, you’re late, you don’t get candy!” 

It came out like a joke, but I knew he was more serious than he let on. 

“Oh honey, there’s Mr. and Mrs. Lodge, you mind if I introduce you?” 

I wanted to say that I already had met them, but come to think of it, I had only seen them from a distance while out with Veronica. He grabbed my arm and led me over to where the couple stood with Veronica. 

“Oh Jack, great to see you, thanks for coming!” Mr. Lodge said and Mrs. Lodge smiled “And who might this be?” 

“This is my daughter, Toby. Toby, this is Mr. and Mrs. Lodge.”

“Oh, you’re one of Veronica’s new friends, right?” Mrs. Lodge inquired 

“Yes ma’am, she helped me out a lot being new to town.”

“That’s great to hear! Jack, how are you doing with your new shop?” Mr. Lodge asked and my dad responded by I wasn’t really listening. How did my dad know the Lodges? It’s a small town, maybe the met out somewhere? Yeah, that had to be it. It’s not like the Lodges were nobodies. 

Their conversation ended pretty quickly and my dad and I went about exploring the other food trucks and tents. I called Bash twice, straight to voicemail. I resorted to texting

_Where the hell are you?_

No response. Now I was starting to worry. Is he in trouble? 

“Hey Dad” he was half eating a funnel cake and there was powdered sugar on his nose. I couldn’t bear to bring him down by bringing up my current lack of a twin brother. 

“Yeah sweetheart?”

I panicked “I love you.” He smiled and wrapped a free arm around my waist in a little side hug. My mind went back to memory from the past

_My dad sat a USB sat on the counter of the front desk our shop in Atlanta “I just need you to drop this off with Jose and that’s all.” he said sliding it a little closer in my direction. “Then he’ll give you a bag and you bring it home. Do you mind?” I was fourteen at the time, I just nodded and smiled as I grabbed the USB. “Why does Jose need so many USBs?” I asked tucking it into my front pocket_

_“Oh, I’m just giving him some files and stuff from the computer.”_

_“Like songs and stuff?” I was so innocent_

_“Yeah, like that” he wrapped his arm around my waist and squeezed a side hug._

I was pulled from my memory when I suddenly heard Veronica on stage. She was looking fierce and I cheered loudly -some may say too loudly- from my place in the crowd. She started singing and I inched closer through the people watching. Veronica looked at me and winked as she kept singing. That’s when I felt the crowd’s attitude shift and people started muttering. Veronica looked at me with a worried, and maybe even a little frightened, look in her eyes. I turned around and that’s when I saw the protestors. One by one they all marched in through the crowd, most of them with duct tape on their face as they stood in a group in front of the pavilion. Veronica and the pussycats stopped playing

“Jughead, what the hell is going on?” Veronica asked 

Toni spoke up with a megaphone “We’re here representing the dead and the silenced, Pickens Day is a lie. General pickens slaughtered a tribe, my grandfather’s family and this land- the land that we’re standing on were stolen from them and we can’t bring them back...”

I started looking around at the group in front of me, clad in leather and flannel. A couple I recognized- Toni, Jughead, Fangs, Sweet Pea- and then my mouth dropped open. Standing right next to Sweet Pea holding a sign reading “Sacred Land” was Bash. 

“Well, fuck me."


	4. Chapter 4

I had never seen my father as angry at my brother as he was that afternoon.

“Bash, take that tape off and get your ass home. Now.” His voice got quieter, but his eyes told just how serious he was, Bash shook his head.

“No huh?” Dad dangled his keychain in front of Bash “Fine, you want to hang out with bums, you can be a bum.” He started taking a key off his key ring, I recognized it as the spare to the Mustang. “Toby is going to take your car home, you had better be home by tonight or it’s going to be hers again.”

My eyes widened and look from Bash to my dad. I didn’t want the car back and really, I admired him for peacefully standing up for something important to him.

“Dad, he’s not doing any harm”

As I said it his eyes stabbed me like daggers “Not my son, not HERE.” he aggressively whispered gestured to the people around. I looked at Bash, he was defiant but I could tell humbled by our father. I just looked down, I didn’t know what to do or how to defuse the situation.

“Toby, take the key and go home.” I turned and my dad’s arm was outstretched with a key on the end. I looked at my brother trying to communicate “I’m sorry” as much as possible with my eyes before taking the key and walking off towards the parking lot.

I sat in the black leather driver’s seat, my fingers wrapped around the steering wheel for what felt like forever before I cranked the engine and the familiar rumble and vibration began.

_I remembered that penetrating sound of a bullet through the glass, blood all over the front seat, all over Bash, all over me_

_I shook my head and took in a deep breath to shake the memory from my mind. When I finally looked up past the steering wheel, I saw the same leather and flannel crowd start to walk up the hill to where I was. I waited in my car until I saw a familiar face and rolled down my window._

“Jug! Where’s Bash?”

“He’s coming up the hill.”

“Where are you all going?”

“We're going back to the trailer park, for now, I think.”

“Is Bash going too?”

“Yeah, he’s supposed to.”

“Oh, um..” _What do I say? How dare y'all protest for equality?_ “You guys be safe okay?”

“Yeah, we will. Promise.”

* * *

 

 

I didn’t trust that promise, I knew if it came to it they’d all throw punches and ask questions later. That’s why when it turned after ten that night I started to really worry, and when I worry, I bake. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one upset because somewhere during my first batch of chocolate chip cookies, my dad took a large sleeping pill with an Old Fashioned. We didn’t talk much, he just sat at the kitchen table and watched me mix the batter.

“Your mom was a good cook.” he said, a softness in his voice that we didn't hear often. It still pained me a little to think about her, it was easier to just ignore it altogether

“Yep, she was,” I said simply, pretending the eggs were the most important thing in the world to me. We were silent again for what felt like an eternity, the only sound was him shaking his whiskey laced ice cubes in his glass.

“We’re conquerors Toby." that softness was gone again and replaced with a very composed sternness. "The Monroes not only survive a situation, we learn to control it.”

He sat his glass in the sink, put his hand on my shoulder, and gave the back of my head a kiss.

"Goodnight sweetie, I love you." His eyes were heavy, the pill already kicking in. 

"Love you, too," I said after him as he carried himself up the stairs and closed the door to his room.

Maybe that’s what Bash was doing, controlling his emotions in the best way he knew how. If I couldn’t stand to even remember our mom, he must be feeling the same way. I looked at the time, it was 12:13. By this point, I was on my fourth dozen cookies and the kitchen was a mess of egg goo and flour. I strummed my fingers on the counter

“Okay, that’s it!” I said out loud to the kitchen appliances and started a pot of coffee, turned off the oven, packed the cookies in a container, and cleaned up the kitchen. While the coffee was brewing I went upstairs to change my flour-covered clothe. I don’t know why, but I felt the need to dress “cool”. Maybe it was my competition with Bash, but I wanted to be liked by these people.

I chose a pair of black skinny jeans, a dark gray sweater that hung just barely off my shoulders, and black heeled ankle boots. By the time I was dressed I knew the coffee was done, but now I was committed so I finished with a black choker, some eyeliner, mascara, and a dark brandy lipstick. I looked in the mirror, it wasn’t until that moment that I realized how much I had changed myself to fit in at Riverdale. And now with my hair down and my beanie on, it was like the old me was staring back at me. It felt good.

I grabbed the coffee and cookies and tiptoed out the door to my Bash’s car. I was going to Southside. 

* * *

When I drove up to the front of the trailer park, Bash was already outside standing in a small group with Jug, Sweet Pea, and Fangs. He was smoking a cigarette. _I guess he's been drinking_ I hesitated in my car, now second guessing everything.

_Why did I dress like this? I look stupid. I am stupid! I’m out here on the Southside by myself-_

That’s when it hit me that they saw my headlights, they knew I was there. I’d look even more of an idiot if I turned around. I turned my car off, grabbed the snacks, and walked in their direction. I could feel their eyes on me as I walked up, one even whistled and promptly got elbowed in the stomach by Bash.

“Toby, what are you doing here?”

I could tell Bash was a little buzzed.

“I brought sustenance! Cookies and coffee!" I looked down at the thermos and cookies in my hands "I guess that doesn't really go with what y'all are drinking though...”

My eyes darted between the four boys in front of me, no one really said anything at first, just still staring at me.

“Well, hot damn! Bash, your sister is now my new favorite person!” Jug said as he reached for the coffee and immediately behind him, Sweet Pea went for the cookies. Our fingers brushed as he grabbed the Tupperware container with two hands

“Oh my gosh, you’re freezing!” it was cold out, why weren’t any of them wearing gloves?

“Nothing you can’t warm up.” Jug said low

I was so glad it was dark, they couldn’t see the blood rush to my cheeks. I stammered.

“Wh-what?” I knew he and Betty had just broken up not too long ago, but is he kidding me right now?

He shook the thermos “The coffee.”

“Well, the cookies will help too.” I nervously chuckled as Sweet Pea crammed about three into his mouth. I definitely felt uncomfortable.

I sat stood between Bash and Jug while the boys tore into the treats.

“Dad’s gonna kill you if he finds out you were here with me.” Bash head a dead serious look in his eyes.

“Yeah, well, nothing I can’t handle…” I looked down at the keys in my hand “I can leave the car with you if you want.”

I wasn’t asking, I was hoping he’d take it. “Nah, how are you gonna get home?”

I snorted “Taxi? Uber? Flash my tits to hitchhike?”

“I’ll take you home and you wouldn’t even have to flash your tits.. unless you wanted to” Sweet Pea joked and Bash shot him a look. SP took a step back, hands up in front of himself in a joking defense.

“You know what I'd literally kill for right now? A cheeseburger." Fangs confessed, taking the last swig of his Budweiser.

"Too bad none of us are entirely sober..." the way Jug's last words trailed made it obvious he was asking me.

I looked at Bash, dangling my keys in front of him “How many beers have you had?" 

"Like two."

"Wanna drive to Pops'?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a hot minute, work got crazy! This isn't the longest chapter, but I promise longer ones in the future!

Jug reluctantly handed me the key that tied their chains together and I started releasing them all one by one. When I got around to Bash, he jokingly kept moving his wrists every time I got the key close. I smiled looking up at him

 

“You stop it or I’ll leave you here with Jug!”

 

He lowered his wrists obediently “No thanks, he hasn’t eaten in days and is a crabby patty.”

 

I looked over at Jug a little in shock and he rolled his eyes at Bash’s comment  _that explains a lot, actually_

“Hey Princess, you gonna help me out too or just stand there?”

 

It was Sweet Pea, I had left him last for a reason. I smiled and walked over to him and unlocked his chain, trying my best to smother the butterfly in my stomach with a deep breath. I don’t think my attempt worked because as soon as his hands were free he gently grabbed my right wrist. I looked down, his hand as much bigger than mine and still freezing.

 

“Hey,” his voice was uniquely low and soft and I could have melted right there “Thank you.”

 

“For?”

 

“The cookies and coffee and stuff.”

 

My lips parted in a crooked grin, not very different than Sebastian’s smirk.

 

“Yeah, yeah, no problem.” That moment _could_ have been special if it weren’t for an overly familiar weight of an arm around my shoulders.

 

“Hey man," Bash started as he pulled the keys out of my back pocket "Fangs, Toby and I were gonna go to Pop’s, you in?” Bash said as he used his leverage on my shoulders to gently turn me in the opposite direction from Sweet Pea’s face causing his hand to drop from my wrist. I don’t know if he was trying to be protective or not but I was miffed. I didn't need his help AND now he was going to drive to? 

“I call shotgun!” I said playfully as I skipped the last few steps to the front door

 

“That’s fucked up, SP is taller”

 

“My car, my rules!”

 

“Woah, wait, YOUR car?” Fangs said eyebrows raised

 

“USED to be her car” Bash interjected as he opened the driver seat door “Mine now.”

 

“Couldn’t handle it?” SP asked

 

I chuckled and pulled the front seat in so there was room to get into the backseat “There are a lot of things I can handle.” He raised his eyebrows, and his lips fought to tug the permanent scowl he normally wears into a smirk. I gestured to the back seat with my arm “Now, after you.” He crawled in and we headed off in the direction of Pop’s.

  

The drive wasn’t too long, but at least it was late so not too many people should be at the diner. But as we pulled in, we quickly realized how wrong we were. The parking lot was three-quarters of the way full and just as we all stepped out of the car, we knew by whom. It appeared that tonight most of Riverdale High’s football team was there.  

 

We all stood frozen, the car still dividing the four of us.

 

“We should go.” Fangs said urgently but hushed. No sooner had I grabbed the passenger seat door handle that I heard a voice I really didn’t care to hear at that particular moment.

 

“Toby? Toby Monroe?” it was Reggie Mantle. I turned around to face him, a fake smile on my face. He looked me up and down from head to two, making a small, unwanted blush come to my cheeks.

 

“Damn girl! You look hotter than you do in your cheerleading skirt!”

 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bash stand up straighter and Sweet Pea stepped closer to me. Unfortunately, that's when Reggie saw them too

 

“Wait, wait, you’re with _them_?!” He asked now his stance becoming more aggressive, looking them up and down. A couple of other football players stepped in line beside Reggie, it was getting ridiculous. SP clenched his left hand and I could feel the anger radiating off of him. I grabbed his wrist in an effort to encourage him to keep it together.  

 

“Actually, Reggie, I haven’t hung out with brother in a hot minute and I was hoping to grab a bite with him and his friends if that’s okay?”

 

I attempted to pull a page out of my mother’s book and appeal to his ego by asking permission.

 

He crossed his arms “What would be okay is if you go inside where it’s safe and wait for us to take you home when we get done with them.”  

 

At first, my mouth dropped open and I could feel my face heat up with anger. _Go inside and wait while the men handle things like some damsel who needs saving?_ I should have known that appealing to his ego wasn’t going to work, I was never very ladylike.

 

I stepped closer to him and Bash, Fangs, and SP took a couple steps forward behind me instinctively “Okay Reggie,” I started off attempting to control myself but I could feel that slipping as I took a few more steps towards him “let’s hold the phone on the patriarchal bullshit.” I stepped even closer than where I was, maybe six inches from our bodies touching. It was evident how much bigger he was than me when he looked down at me.  “I may be just a cheerleader to you, but I can and will put you in your place.”

 

I could see Reggie’s internal struggle as he looked back at his friends. He wasn’t sure what to do and in the last second he chose to backpedal “Woah, Toby, calm down. I was just telling you that you should go inside just in case they did something violent- they’re Southsiders you know? I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

 

I bit my lip hard to keep from shouting at him and instead my voice lowered as I gestured at my brother “Bash is my brother, I’m not going anywhere without him or our friends” I had said our friends, I know it wasn't true but at the moment it felt right. Reggie opened his mouth to say something else when he was interrupted by Pop yelling out the front door. I guess arriving here had made a bit of a scene.

“Hey kids, get out of this parking lot now! I don’t want no trouble!”

 

I felt a familiar hand grab mine and pull me in the direction of the car, his other hand finding its home on my lower back.

 

SP touching me must have set Reggie off because now he got personal“Hey Southsider,” he spat “This isn’t over!”

 

SP held the door open for me and ushered me into the backseat before turning around to face Reggie again. He responded with a delight in his face that scared me a little

 

“I’m looking forward to it.”


	6. Chapter 6

It was quiet in the car for a bit. I was shaking coming down off the adrenaline that never got released, but as the adrenaline subsided my embarrassment grew. We were supposed to be on our best behavior moving here and I just made a scene defending a gang. It wasn’t just a scene, this was going to be considered a statement to the town of Riverdale. The Monroes are going to side with the Serpents. _Stupid. So fucking stupid._

 

Fangs broke the silence from the front seat.

 

“Dude, I didn’t know you were a badass! I totally thought you were gonna hit him!”

 

The boys chuckled and I just gave a weak smile. The truth is what embarrassed me the most was that I was so upset that if it wasn’t for Pop I probably _would_ have hit him. Maybe it was a side effect of how I was raised or maybe because I insisted on being “one of the boys”, but this wouldn’t have been the first time I clocked someone in the nose for no real reason.

 

“Hey, you okay?” Jug asked gently putting his hand on top of my lap.  

 

 I saw Bash look at me through the rearview mirror and without saying anything, he abruptly made a U-turn.  This was in a different direction than the road to the trailer park.

 

“Hey, where are we going?”

 

“I think what you need is a drink.”

 

“A drink? Where?”

 

“Where we should have gone in the first place, the Whyte Wyrm.”

 

With that Bash turned the music up and a heavy bass, song filled the car and drowned out the sound of the muffler.

 

 

I had heard of the Whyte Worm before from people in school. Some stereotypical biker bar where the Serpents basically ruled and it was _not_ recommended for any Northsider to go there. As we pulled into a parking space, I saw that the description I had heard was absolutely correct. There were lines of motorcycles parked out front, a few people smoking, and even a couple making out in the shadows of a corner. It was like they were trying to make it look as seedy as possible.

 

Sweet Pea got out of the back seat first and held his hand out for me and I took it. His hand was becoming familiar to me tonight but now, at least, it felt warm and gentle as opposed to the last two times. I tugged my beanie down farther on my head to cover my ears, the night air was nippy but I really did it more out of nervous habit. It was like the first day of school all over again, only this time I didn’t have Bash to be new with me.

 

“C’mon, let’s go. We gotta get her back home eventually.” Bash said encouraging me to move faster towards the front door.

 

Jug chuckled “It’s like we’re giving Tobes the grand tour de serpent.”

 

“Well, I mean, she is family by association.” Fangs said as he held open the door.

 

As soon as we stepped inside I was overwhelmed with the smell of cigarettes and leather and the sound of music, pool balls clacking, and loud chatter. As people shouted their hellos to the boys my heart skipped a little bit for the second time that night. I had found a little piece of home in the energy and the sense of belonging they seemed to have. We used to have that and in that moment, I realized how much I missed it.

 

The five of us walked up to the bar, it was pretty crowded so Jug, Fangs, and I took a seat at the three available stools and Sweet Pea and Bash stood behind us.  I was, however, a little shocked to see Toni on the other side.  I suppose she was shocked to see me too because she raised both of her eyebrows when our eyes locked.

 

“I was wondering how long it’d take for Bash to bring you around.” She said as she approached nearer to us with a smile “What can I get for you guys?”

 

“We’ll have four..” Jug trailed off and looked at me “Five?” I nodded and he continued “Budweisers, please.”

 

“And an additional shot of tequila for the lady.”  Bash said from behind me.

 

I looked over to him slowly wide-eyed “I have to drive later!”

 

“Nah, we’ll get you home. Besides, it’s your favorite and you deserve it after that shit.” Bash interjected as he placed some money on the counter. Sweet Pea had a smirk on his lips “Tequila, huh?” I shrugged “Yeah, well, don’t you boys worry, it doesn’t make my clothes fall off.”

 

“What does it take for that to happen?” He teased and raised his arm and shouted louder “Yo, Toni. Bring the whole bottle!”

Bash just looked at him “Seriously dude, I’m right here. You could try a little less.”

 

“Oh c’mon, it’s just a joke. She’s like Toni, I’m not going to do anything.”

 

My heart sank a little, but I wasn’t sure why. I guess maybe because it was always like that? It felt like when our mutual friends looked at me, they just saw Sebastian but with tits.

 

“What are you guys up to tonight, trouble?” Toni had a mix of concern and excitement on her face as she poured the beers from the tap.

 

“Yeah, that trouble’s name is Reggie Mantle.” Sweet Pea’s voice was just as annoyed as it was when we were at Pop’s.

 

“At Southside?”

 

“No! We wanted to take a little burger break at Pop’s.”

 

“And you’re here?”

 

She sat the beers heavily in front of us one by one and as soon as mine was in front of me I started tuning them out in favor of the drink. That’s when I felt my phone in my back pocket begin to buzz over and over. I pulled out my phone.

 

_Veronica: OMG, did you just get in a fight with Reggie?_

_Veronica: ARE YOU WITH THE SOUTHSIDERS?_

_Veronica: TALK TO ME_

 

Before I could even respond I started getting more

 

_Betty: Are you guys safe?_

_Betty: Is Jug with you?_

_Cheryl: Stay classy, not trashy, Monroe._

 

More kept buzzing in and I felt Sweet Pea looking over my shoulder with a chuckle.

 

“Side effect to hanging out with us, Princess.”

 

Toni sat the shot down rimmed with salt and a lime. This couldn’t have come at a better time. I turned my phone off, grabbed the shot glass, licked the salt, and threw the harsh liquor back finishing with a suck of the lime. 

 

“’At a girl!” Fangs cheered

 

“Want another one?” Sweet Pea was sincere as he uncorked the bottle of Jose Toni had sat down for him, but I could also tell by the warmth that was already rushing to my cheeks, that another shot was the last thing I needed around him.

 

“Nah, I’m good I think.” I looked around the bar again, nodding my head “So is this where you guys come to play poker?”

 

The boys all laughed.

 

“What?”

 

“We uhh…” Jug chuckled “We don’t play poker.”

 

“What the fuck?” I looked at Bash “You _lied_ to me?”

 

“No, no, I never said we played poker. Fangs said that like once.”

 

“Then what the fuck are you guys doing?”

 

“Well at first,” Sebastian took a long sip of his beer “I was just helpin’ them out with their bikes and having a few beers. Then, I don’t know, we became friends.”

 

“Here lately he’s been working towards being a Serpent himself,” Fangs said proudly and  Bash shot him a dirty look.

 

“Say what?” the last word was dripping with venom.

 

“Yeah, I… I don’t know, I feel at home here.” He gestured to the bar “It’s who I am.” His eyes softened “who _we_ are.”

 

I grabbed the bottle of tequila from Sweet Pea’s hand and took a long drink. They just stared at me as I shook a little at the bitter taste of alcohol hit my stomach.  I sat the bottle on the counter with emphasis.  “We’re supposed to make a new start, we promised Dad.”

 

Bash chuckled. Actually chuckled. “You think Dad is starting over? Really?”

 

I didn’t respond, was he not?

 

“Tobes, he’s playing the same game, just using a different game piece this go around. How do you think he got a shop in the Southside?”

 

“Can we talk about this later?” I said suddenly acutely aware of Sweet Pea, Fangs, and the whole bar. I didn’t want our family business set on display. Sebastian didn’t

 

“Hiram Lodge, Toby. He got the property as a deal with Hiram Lodge.”


	7. Chapter 7

Being friends with Veronica, I knew a thing or two about Mr. Lodge. One: he recently got out of prison for embezzlement and fraud. Two: I knew that Veronica and him had an iffy relationship at times. But every time I visited and had dinner with the Lodge family, they were all so kind and generous, it felt like a normal family. It was the way Sebastian said his name that gave me chills though, it was like he was implying something. Like he knew something that I definitely did not. They were all just staring at me, anticipating my response.

 

“And?”

 

I could feel their shock, I could see Bash’s frustration.

 

“And if he buys up all of Southside, he owns it. All of it. Something’s going on, Tobes. It doesn’t take a genius to see it.”

 

He placed a few dollars under his pint glass and stood up from his stool.

 

“We should get going.”

 

The conversation felt cut short, I had so many questions but at the same time I didn’t know what they were. It was uncomfortable and the car ride didn’t make it any better. They let me sit in the front again and the boys resumed talking as if nothing happened- names I didn’t know, motorcycles, parties, school… Meanwhile I just sat there slowly letting what I just learned sink in.

 

Bash was becoming a Serpent, Dad was a part of some nefarious deal, and Hiram Lodge was taking over the Southside? I wasn’t sure if I should believe it or if I should be expecting Bash to be hosting a conspiracy video on the internet.

 

The car stopped, we were apparently already at our house.

 

“Hey Tobes, thanks again for the cookies and stuff.” Sweet Pea said from behind me as he handed up the thermos.

 

“Yeah, totally bring those the next time we hang out!” Fangs perked up. Next time? I shut the door and watched them drive off before heading in the house. It was now creeping to 2:00 AM and I could hear Dad snoring as soon as I was through the doorway. My stomach did a little toss at the thought of how he was going to react when he realizes the car is gone and I’m still home. That was a problem for tomorrow though.

 

I trudged up the stairs towards the shower, my whole body felt heavy as if it were literally weighed down with unanswered questions that just seemed to lead to more. _If_ Dad was in some sort of deal with Mr. Lodge, was moving up here part of his plan from the beginning?  The hot water felt good and as I watched the sudsy water run down the drain I was reminded of my first big fight I was in just last year, in comparison Reggie was a walk in the park.

 

* * *

 

_The shower loosened the dried blood on my eyebrow and lip. It stung but I just stood there and watched the thin red line in the bottom off the shower go down the drain. My knuckles were swollen and bruised and I could have sworn I had broken something. Sebastian and I had gone to a race after party that we were DEFINITELY too young to be at but no one really asked our age since we went with some family friends from the shop._

_“Oh my gosh, you’ve gotta help me, this guy won’t stop hitting on me!” We were at the bar and that voice seemed to just appear between me and Bash out of nowhere. It came from a pretty brunette with dark olive skin and big brown eyes, couldn’t have been more than a year or so older than us. I looked around searching for ‘the guy’ and he wasn’t hard to miss cutting through the crowd like a dog after a bone. Bash apparently noticed as well, because his next move was ““I dunno, I can pretend to be your boyfriend or something?”_

_She seemed to like that idea. “Yeah, just like, wrap your arm around my waist.”_

_He did and pulled her close. I watched dog boy stop in his tracks and walk away._

_“My name’s Esti, what’s yours?”_

_“Bash and this is my sister Toby.”_

_She smiled and gave me a large hug. I wasn’t expecting that but the three beers I already had really liked it and from that moment Esti and I were inseparable. She showed me lots of different drinks and shots and the only time we peeled ourselves from the dance floor was for more drinks._

_It was at the end of a particularly fast song when Esti grabbed my wrist “Fuck, I’ve really gotta pee! Come with me?” her hand slid from my wrist to my hand pulling me in the direction of the bathrooms without waiting for me to agree._

_The line for the ladies’ room was literally around the corner. Esti looked at me and then looked at the men’s room and back to me. “We’re going in there!” she proclaimed._

_“Wait, what? We can’t go in there, it’s for guys!”_

_“Pssh, wouldn’t the first penis I’ve seen. Plus, I can’t wait that long, I’ll pee myself. No one wants that.”_

_She pulled the door open. Thank God it was a single bathroom with just a toilet and urinal. No one was in there._

_“There’s no lock. Can you just like, hold the door while I pee so no one walks in on me?”_

_“Sure.” The door pulled outwards so I just faced it holding the doorknob in both hands. It was actually a really good thing she had me do that because not five seconds after she started someone tried to enter. I grabbed hold of the handle harder and pulled._

_“Someone’s in here” I called back politely_

_“What? There are girls in there? Fuck that! Hey this is the guys room!” he pulled on the door harder._

_“Just a minute!” he jerked and rattled the handle and started banging on the door. Drunk Esti started crying._

_“No, no, don’t cry! It’s okay, just hurry up.”_

_“Hey fuck you, this room is for men!”_

_I was getting angry at this guy now. The type of unreasonable anger that sometimes likes to visit its pal alcohol. Esti finished, but I wanted to wait for exactly the right moment._

_“Hey sweetie, wash your hands. Fix your makeup. This is fine, I got it.”_

_She did so, it took another three minutes all the while the guy was still banging and pushing at the door. When she was finally ready, I waited for our door abuser to try pulling on the door handle again. This time I kicked the door with my foot so it popped him in the face._

_“You can fucking wait five minutes!” I spat. The door had apparently popped him in the face, blood was coming down his nose. Good, he deserved it. I grabbed Esti by the arm and walked over to the other side of the room where Bash and a few of our friends were. Sebastian handed me another beer and we started talking about our mutual friends with Esti when I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned around I was greeted by a fist in the face. Right on my lip and chin. I felt my teeth cut my gum and the pain radiated from my chin all the way up my jaw to my head._

_All I saw when I looked up was bathroom guy. “Don’t you ever step up on a man, that’s how you get hurt. You hear me?”_

_Oh, I heard him and Jack and Jose definitely had other plans for him. Next thing I knew I was on his back wailing on his head punching him. He flipped me over face first on the ground. The blow knocked the breath out of me and I felt another sharp pain, this time from a foot to my ribs. Another and another.  All that was around my face was a bar stool and I tried to reach for it, but it was hard to do from the pain in my ribs and stomach. All I could do is curl into a ball. I could feel the air change as he pulled his foot back for another kick but before he could do another he was tackled to the ground by Bash and our family friends. He was taken out back, I’m not sure what happened to him and a couple came to my aid with a shot of tequila and some ice._

_It was a stupid fight, that I didn’t really win. I came home drunk and bleeding, Dad pretended to be mad when we came home for Mom’s sake, but if you really took a minute to look at him, you could tell he was proud._

* * *

 

 

I turned the water off, changed into some pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt, and headed to my room with a smile on my face and I wasn’t really sure why. _I should text Bash_ I looked on my dresser there wasn’t a phone there. Nor in the bathroom. I went back into my room and checked the pocket of the black jeans I was wearing, not there either.

 

_Tick_

I looked around.

 

_Tick_

It was coming from my window. Seriously?

 

_Tick_

  I pulled the curtains back and in the middle of our year stood Sweet Pea. He smiled when he saw me and held up a phone and shook it in his right hand, the light glarig in the darkness. It must have been mine. I smiled, held up a finger, and slowly mouthed “I’ll be right down.”

 

I tiptoed down the stairs and opened the door, praying I wouldn’t wake up Dad. Especially not now.

 

“I think you forgot something in the car.” He handed me my phone.

 

“You’re a life saver, I was just looking for that!”

 

He smiled “ Yesh, well, we gotta get going. Have a good rest of your night, princess.”

 

My heart fluttered and I watched him turn and walk down to the next  street to where I could see Bash’s car parked.

 

As I walked back to my room, I felt my phone buzz

 

_Sweet Pea:  You look cute af in your pjs, btw._

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a couple of things. 
> 
> 1) I was rewatching Riverdale and it made me realize I made a continuity error earlier and had the boys chained up outside of Southside High right after Pickens Day. Those instances are a few episodes apart, so I went back and changed a couple of chapters. You're not missing anything huge if you don't wanna go back and read it, but if you want to- there ya go!
> 
> 2) There aren't any Riverdale characters in this chapter, just setting up for other stuff. But I promise the next one will be back to our regularly scheduled Riverdale sweet slow burn ;)

I woke up to the sound of the Mustang in the driveway. The events of the previous night came flooding back and my face became hot and my throat dry.

 

Dad was going to kill me.

 

I hastily threw some jeans and a dark green cable knit cropped sweater on, pulled my dark hair back into a messy bun, and headed out my door to the kitchen. At no surprise, my dad sat at the table with a cup of coffee and, judging by the way he chose to not look at me, I could tell he was angry. In that moment of panic that one only knows when being caught by a parent, I weighed my options.

 

_Flight or fight. Flight or fight._

 I chose a neutral third option of playing it cool and grabbing my own cup of coffee as if nothing was different. Bash walked through the door, I only glanced at him briefly, but I could tell his eyes were heavy from lack of sleep and he held his body defeated. I knew something had to of happened.

 

“Sit down.” That’s all my dad said and mine and Bash’s eyes locked- was he talking to him or me? Bash smirked, put his jacket on the hook by the door, and sat down at the table. He knew it was definitely him. After a few seconds of me standing there not sure what I was supposed to do, I turned to walk out of the kitchen. Was I safe?

 

“You too, October Blair.”

 

I winced as he used my middle name and cautiously headed to the table taking in the situation. It was a round table, four chairs. Bash took the spot across from Dad so I would have to sit beside him, not where I wanted to be. I slid into the chair to Dad’s right and Bash’s left and slowly raised my head to face what might be coming.

 

“Either of you plan on telling me what’s going on?”

 

We both stayed quiet with mild shrugs, hoping to make him show his hand before we confess to too much.

 

“Hanging out with hoodlums in a known gang, getting up to God only knows what? That display at Pickens Day?  You’re hardly home anymore I can’t remember the last time we had dinner together!”

 

He turned his glare to me

 

“And you, missy. I gave _you_ the car keys, not your brother. You mind explaining to me how he ended up with it again?”

 

“Well, I-“

 

“She didn’t do anything. I came home and took the car” Bash lied.

 

“Don’t lie to me, boy. I know you were both out getting into spats at Pop’s.”

 

I felt my eyes get bigger in shock. How did he know?

 

“You think y’all can get away with stuff in this town? This isn’t Atlanta. I know everything. Now, why did you take your bother that car?”

 

“I- I was worried about him. So yeah, I took him and his friends some coffee and cookies and one thing led to another.”

 

“And you decided to yell at some poor boy and make a scene?”

 

“That ‘poor boy’ deserved it!”

 

He put his fingers to his temples.

 

“Christ! You two don’t make this shit easy. You know that?” He looked at both of us “We’re supposed to be starting over. You’re supposed to just blend in so we can just be a part of the ecosystem and have a normal life. Isn’t that what you want?”

 

“This isn’t normal.” Bash said coldly, my heart sank. I did want to be a normal teenager, but what if last night _was_ our normal?

 

“What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Toby and I were never meant to be team captain, straight-A students trying to schedule a clambake and polo tournament in the same week- you saw to that personally. But you’ve asked us to do that, to be these perfect kids and, for us, that’s _not_ normal.”

 

“It was supposed to be your normal!” Dad blurted out and the slight squint of his right eye made me realize he said more than he wanted to.

 

It was quiet for a second and Sebastian crossed his arms with a smirk “Yeah, Dad, you’re right. Then you started using us as fences and whatever else you needed.”

 

He didn’t say anything with his lips pursed together in a tight line, he was thinking.  

 

“Okay, fine.  _FINE._ " He lowered his hands to the table with more composure than his words seemed to have "I’m going to give you both an option that my father gave to me but that wasn’t given to him- do you want to be a player or a pawn?" he paused, evaluating both of our reactions,"The player gets their hands dirty and the pawn gets to remain innocent. Both have a role to play in this family." 

 

“Was mom innocent?” I needed to know. 

 

He chuckled half-heartedly, “No, your mother certainly was _not_ innocent.”

 

Bash stretched his arms over the back of the dining room chair confidently.

 

“I want in.”

 

I looked between the two of them, weighing my options. On one hand, I _really_ wanted to know and be involved in our family. On the other hand, could I handle what that meant? Then I caved and made a decision that would probably impact the rest of my life

 

“Me too.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The three of us just kind of sat at the table in expectant silence for what must have been around five minutes, sipping our coffee. Dad stood up and went to the back-door coat rack to grab his jacket.

 

“So.. that’s it?” Bash inquired.

 

“For now, yes. We’ll have a bigger talk later. In the meantime, just-“ he sighed “Consider our family before making decisions. You want revenge for smart ass talking punk?” he looked at me “Get it, but don’t let anyone find out it was you. Understood?”

 

We just nodded.

 

“Good.” He reached for the door handle to leave before pausing “Oh, and Toby?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Plan to go to Veronica Lodge’s confirmation next weekend.”

 

Yep, I was already planning on being there for her.

 

“Yeah, no problem.”

 

And with that, he left and took a lot of the energy of the room with him. I just looked at Bash but his returning gaze was not as kind, there was a quiet anger bubbling up in him. An anger that was definitely pointed at me. I waited for it to spill over in an outburst as I slowly slipped my coffee. 

 

“What the fuck were you thinking?”

 

There it is.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Agreeing to be a part of all this shit, you’re so better than this!”

 

“Woah, look who’s talking! You did the exact same thing!”

 

“Yeah, but not to _actually_ do it! I want to know what Dad is up to. I want to influence it!”

 

“So you want to be in the know and make changes? Sounds to me like you actually _do_ want in. Stop being a hypocrite and yelling at me!”

 

“I’m such a better person than Dad is.”

 

“You don’t even know if he’s that bad!”

 

“Tobes, open your eyes. Dad and mom were way more than just some illegal car parts, street racing, and drugs from time to time.”

 

I paused “Wait, what?”

 

“Jesus Christ!” He sighed and his voice got softer “They had their hands in lots of pockets- theft, fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, gambling, witness tampering..” he paused looking to make sure the last word set in “Murder.”

 

I pushed myself against the back of my seat in shock.

 

“H-How do you know that?”

 

“Didn’t you ever look at those USBs dad used to hand us?”

 

“No..”

 

“Well, I did. One thing led to another. Like, for instance Dad and Hiram Lodge go pretty far back. They’re ‘business associates’ and have been for a while.”

 

I just nodded my head, everything was kinda making sense now. The move to this middle of nowhere city, the charade we were putting on. 

 

“What do we do?”

 

“Well, it’s too late _now_ , so we play his game.”

 

“Right.” I nodded and got up from the table and grabbed my own coat.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

I shoved my foot into the same heeled black ankle boots from last night.

 

“Well, fortunately,” I threw his jacket at him “We know a couple of people who will be useful to us. So, get in the car and call Jug. We can’t do this alone.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness, I loved seeing all the kudos I got from the last installment. Thank you all for brightening up my otherwise very boring -crimeless-adult life!

Things felt different as we pulled up to Jug’s trailer at 11:12 that morning. I felt like I had a responsibility, a role to play and with that, a weight had been placed on my chest. 

 

“What are you planning on saying?” Bash interrupted the silence that we had been sitting in all the way to Southside.

 

 “Well, honestly, I want to know everything you and the Serpents know before we talk to Dad. I want to know what _you_ know.”

 

“I could have just told you that.”

 

“Sure,” I shrugged “but I want to hear it myself, from the source.”

 

His right eye twitched in irritation.

 

“Bash, c’mon. If we’re going to be doing this together, I need us to be equals.”

 

He didn’t have time to reply since Jug was already on his porch, armed with a coffee cup and a wave, but I took it as a victory when Bash opened the car door and greeted Jug as if nothing was different.

 

“Miss Monroe, what a lovely surprise.” Jug smiled as I took the three steps up his porch to the front door he was holding open. “Welcome to my humble abode.” 

 

I took in my new surroundings as I stepped through the entryway. I don’t know what I expected, something to mimic the Whyte Wrym maybe? But, in truth, the house made me a little sad, and not because of the size or quality. It was as if beer bottles and microwave dinners were a forced substitute for the love and warmth the hand-me-down furniture was begging for.

 

It also felt emptier than I expected. I couldn’t tell you why, but part of me thought there would be other Serpents inside, that they were inseparable. But, the only thing inside greeting us was Jug’s open laptop on the coffee table.

 

“Can I get you guys coffee or anything?” he asked, closing the door and locking it. Something I can only assume was a habit from growing up in the Southside.

 

“Nah, I’m good,” Sebastian said, taking a seat on the far end of the couch. Jug looked at me, I could tell he was tired, but he also carried a lot of weight on his shoulders that I didn’t see until now.

 

“Yeah, actually. That’d be great.”

 

I also took a seat on the couch while he poured the coffee.

 

“I hope you like it black; I don’t have any milk or anything.”

 

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’m not too picky.”

 

It didn’t take many steps for him to bring it to me and take a seat in the recliner to my left.

 

“So, what’s up?”

 

“Actually,” I took a sip of the coffee and paused; it was stronger than I’m used to. “we’re here to talk business.”

 

He crooked his right eyebrow and pushed himself back in the recliner to sit more comfortably “I’m interested.”

 

“Clearly, I’ve been out of the loop, and I want you to fill me in.”

 

 “Fill you in on what exactly?”

 

“She wants to know more about Hiram Lodge and our dad, all of that stuff.” Bash interjected.

 

“Wait, why the sudden interest now? Are you done playing dress-up-princess with Betty and Veronica?” Jug demanded.

 

“Nope, they’re still my friends. But I want you to be my friend too.” He strummed his fingers on the recliner’s arm as he squinted his eyes a bit as if he was tryng to read my mind. “All of you- the Serpents I mean- and right now I feel like I’ve been sitting in the dark.”

 

“Actually, I think what you’re asking is for me to bring you into the dark. You sure that’s what you want?”

 

I nodded.

 

Jug and Bash told me everything. How Lodges struck a deal with Mayor McCoy for land that involved shutting down Southside High, how Mr. Lodge had a shady past and a not so innocent present when it comes to business deals; some information Jug had pieced together from chats with Betty and Veronica. How the Pickens' head was missing, and they were being blamed.

 

What was particularly interesting was how our dad tied into all of this. Property in Southside had become very difficult to buy, always falling through, and yet our family arrived at such an opportune moment of Hiram planning to purchase land and was able to buy our car shop with no problem.

 

Jug’s eyes were frustrated. “They’re up to something- the Lodges and- we think- your dad. We just don’t know where it’s going to lead.”

 

“There’s been some changes in that direction.” Bash said sliding up on the couch so that he could lean in closer to Jug.

 

“Oh?”

 

“Dad’s bringing Tobes and me in on the _family business_.” He didn’t say much, but the implication of those last words was with drowning in meaning.

 

“Both of you?” Jug’s finger wiggled between the two of us and Bash nodded in agreement. A smile crept its way across his face “Interesting.”

 

I finished the last of my coffee and sat the cup on the coffee table. “But I think what we want is a more collaborative relationship with you and the Serpents. We don’t know what our Dad wants, but if Y'all are right and he does have Hiram Lodge on his side, we need some support.”

 

“Always, anything you need.”

 

The sound of the front door opening unannounced cut the seriousness of the room in half and we all gave a startled hop in our seats.

 

In came Fangs followed not far behind Sweet Pea into the little trailer, suddenly the trailer started to feel small.

“Hey man, we’re taking some coffee, that cool?” It was more of a statement from Fangs than an ask.

 

“Yeah, you’ll have to brew some more,  I think Tobes took the last cup.”

 

Sweet Pea’s head turned in our direction quickly, eyes kind of in shock. Neither boy had even glanced over to the living room when they entered, _single-track mind_.

 

“Oh! You gonna be hanging around now all the time like your brother?” Sweet Pea asked coolly, leaning against Jug’s recliner while Fangs started another batch of coffee.

 

I shrugged “That depends on how nice y'all are, I suppose.” His eyes narrowed and a devious smirk crossed his lips. Before he could give a retort, Jug interjected.

 

“She’s going to be a new business associate. A Serpent-adjacent, of sorts.” Giving a knowing look only Sweet Pea seemed to understand.

 

“That’s what’s up.” Sweet pea backed away from the recliner and turned to the kitchen to open a cabinet “If you’re around,” he pulled two coffee cups out “Then Bash will be around more, and I have a bike that needs some TLC.”

 

The five of us talked until the afternoon had sat in and stomachs started to grumble. Just as we were talking about grabbing a bite somewhere, Bash and my phone simultaneously buzzed.

 

 **_Dad:_ ** _Be home in 30 minutes._

We both looked at each other, faces nervous with what was to come.

 

Jug cleared his throat, realizing that something was up. “You guys okay?”

 

“Duty calls,” I dramatically said as I grabbed my coat.

 

“Yeah man, raincheck on the burgers? Dad wants us home.”

 

“Yeah, sure, of course. Let us know how it goes?”

 

With that, we left the trailer and headed home.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 We were a little early, a new record for us, but Dad’s car was in the driveway meaning he was waiting on us.

 

There he sat back at the breakfast nook table waiting for us as if it were 10 AM again and nothing had happened, only instead of coffee he was sipping on a glass of bourbon. On the table in front of him sat an open lockbox with several documents and a couple of jump drives inside. I looked from him to the box and back to him, and he gestured to the empty chairs we had sat in early while taking a sip of his brown drink.

 

“I need to know,” he started as we took a seat “that you’re going to take this seriously. This is your last chance to back out before it’s too late.”

 

We nodded.

 

“Good. Let’s get on with it then. I met Hiram Lodge just before I had met your mother at a get-together your grandfather was hosting in New Orleans. Your grandfather was originally from Greendale, did you know that? Just one city over. Anyways, he was eager to give a helping hand to someone from where he grew up, so he invited Hiram out with a couple of other families from New York. We were all so young then, Hiram was an up and comer, you see, but we hit it off right away. Probably how he’s done so well for himself, he’s easy to like and even better to have on your good side.”

 

He smirked the same smirk Sebastian wears as he took yet another sip of his drink, but his eyes looked like they were staring into the past. “When things in Atlanta turned sour, Hiram was the first man I trusted who was willing to step up to help us out if I was willing to help him out and be a partner of sorts. We’re planning on quietly buying out all of Southside and building a prison.”

 

He paused, letting his words sink in.

 

“Prisons bring money and political trump cards. We have friends in high places; we can arrange for certain people to be brought here, we can provide a service to our friends and make life as hard as we want for our foes. Do you understand?”

 

“You never did tell us what happened in Atlanta.” Bash said carefully.

 

“We had a fucking Fredo in the mix; someone ratted us out to another family. One we didn’t have the best working arrangements with. They went after your mother that night, and if they would go after her, I knew you two were next. Moving here not only was a good opportunity financially but for protection. We have family here.”

 

He pushed the lockbox closer in our direction.

 

“In the interest of full transparency, read these over if you want. It details some things that we’ve some things that are in the process of becoming a reality here in Riverdale.” Bash pulled a couple of papers out and started reading them, my eyes caught a picture of Mom on the top. It was her obituary.

 

“Now that that’s out of the way, here are the expectations- you put your family first, if you do that, we’ll always win. You’re new to this so, for now, you’ll do as I say and not any other way., Get a big head, and I’ll have to cut you down, personally. I have a dream that the legacy of our family will be passed down with one or both of you, but I will not hesitate to let it die out with me. Understood?”

 

“Yes, sir.” Our voices were clear but quiet.  

 

_Did he just threaten us?_

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

On the outside, the Pembrooke looked luxurious and inviting, but it was always colder than necessary once you stepped inside, not unlike the majority of the residents seemed to be. Andres dark head poked around the corner “Ms. Monroe! I’m afraid Ms. Veronica is occupied today,” He began but silenced himself just as the dark suit of Mr. Lodge appeared through the front door.

 

“October!” he said more in eagerness than in surprise.

 

“I was just telling Ms. Monroe that Veronica is otherwise occupied.” Andre shifted.

 

“Nonsense, she can come up with me.” His smile gave me a shiver, and we walked together toward the metallic doors.

 

“I got a call from your father.” He said conversationally but it was laced with meaning only he and I knew.

 

“Oh?” I feigned innocence as the elevator doors closed.

 

“I need you to be a friend to Veronica, just like I’ve been a friend to your father.” He pressed the floor to their apartment with an air of confidence that I attempted to mirror.

 

“Of course, Veronica was already my friend, and this doesn’t change anything.”

 

He chuckled “This changes everything, Toby, and I have plans for Veronica.” There was a brief silence, and all I could hear was the sound of my heart racing and the faint ding as we went up to the next floor “Those plans could include you too.”  The doors opened, and he placed his hand on my right shoulder, gently squeezed “Be good to her and I’ll be good to you.” He whispered as he walked off in the direction of his office.

 

I froze in the door way of the Lodge’s apartment as Veronica spun round in a perfectly tailored white dress in front of a mirror. She looked beautiful with the dress hugging her waist in a lady-like way that I was sure I could never pull off. To my right I could see Archie standing with his arms crossed, admiring her just as much as I was.

 

“Toby!” She exclaimed with a big smile when she noticed me in the doorway. She extended her arms welcoming me into the room filled with, what seemed to be, her closest female family members plus one very familiar red head boy. Veronica loved being the center of attention and she flourished.

 

I took a few uncertain steps into the room, I couldn’t help but see the reflection of myself in the mirror as I approached and my nude pumps, dark green knit dress, and jean jacket paled in comparison to Veronica. I swallowed hard in regret but my throat was dry, I had put considerable effort into dressing in a way that would have me fit in with the Lodges but now that all the eyes in the room were on me, I wasn’t sure it mattered what I wore. Everyone in the room seemed on edge at the mere presence of Archie and me.

 

“I’m sorry I should have called first!” I started trying to make up for my rudeness; I was interrupting something.

 

“No, no! Just trying on my dress for my confirmation! I’m really glad you came, I wanted to give you something!”

 

She hopped off of the little stepping stool she was modeling on and reached for my hand.

 

“But first, I want to introduce you to my family! Especially my Abuelita!” She took the time to introduce me to each of the ladies sitting in the room. They all looked so refined, like little dolls sitting on chairs, but they were little dolls that could end your life with a snap of a finger.

 

One of her aunts squinted her eyes in thought when looking at me “Monroe… That name sounds familiar.” Veronica smiled dismissively with a squeeze of my hand “Monroe is just a common name, they just moved here from Georgia!”

 

That was the puzzle piece her aunt needed “Are you related to Jack Monroe?”

 

I smiled with a guilty shrug “I am actually! I’m his daughter.”

 

“Oh!” she spoke in Spanish to the room, and the mood immediately shifted to something more welcoming and at ease and I as greeted with smiles. Like I did belong. _What did she say?_

 

“It’s always good to see friends of the family. Would you like to sit down and have some tea with us?” her aunt continued patting an empty seat beside her.

 

I saw Archie cut a side glance of confusion at Veronica, but she smiled as if nothing was different. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to steal her for a bit. I hope you don’t mind if I disappear for just a few minutes?” She asked the room but she didn’t wait for a response as she pulled on my hand in the direction of her bedroom. “Archie?” she called over her shoulder “I’ll see you at school tomorrow?”

 

As soon as she shut her bedroom door, she looked at me with an open mouth but a smile tugging at her shock “Care to fill me in on what that was?”

 

“What _what_ was?”

 

She put her olive hand on her hip “Oh come on Toby, how does my aunt know your dad?”

 

Do I tell her? Was I supposed to? Did she know about our parents? Suddenly her room started to feel really warm, and I decided to give her a non-answer.

 

“I think we both know the answer to that.”

 

She sat on the edge of her bed. “How long have you known?”

 

“Not long, last few days actually.”

 

“Oh my gosh what a relief!” I arched my eyebrows. Was it a relief? She continued “I felt like I had been tugging around this huge weight for weeks about everything and how I was dragging Archie down with me, but now that I know I’m not alone it makes me feel so much better!”

 

There was a lot to unpack in what she just said. Clearly, she had been feeling the same weight of responsibility that I had been feeling lately but who knows how much longer. I hadn’t even thought about what this meant for my future love life, would _I_ be corrupting any future boyfriends? Was it better that we were both somewhat in each other’s shoes?

 

I must have looked half a mile away as she leaned forward and grabbed my hand. “I know.” She said simply and tears burned at the edges of my eyes. I felt so weak, desperately fighting tears back the best I could but at the same time that’s exactly what I needed to hear. She stood up and put her hands on my shoulders

 

“We’re going to conquer this just like we do everything else.” Veronica sat me down on the bench in front of her mirrored vanity. “And I’ll tell you why” She started as she reached into her jewelry box and pulled out a strand of pearls “Because we’re not alone.” She placed the cold strand around my neck as she continued “We’ve got Archie, Betty, Jug, Bash and, most importantly, each other.” I wasn’t sure if she was trying to sell me or herself on that speech, but in this moment, I was more than willing to let her words put a band-aid on my emotions.

 

It seemed to work for her too because her mood changed as she clasped my shoulders tightly in a comforting squeeze “You look beautiful in pearls! Now, let’s find you something to wear to my confirmation!”

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

I left The Pembrooke with a large black dress bag containing a navy dress that was probably more expensive than half my wardrobe alone and a strand of pearls still around my neck. I didn’t need a dress, but for Veronica Lodge, this wasn’t charity, this was a sort of symbolized alliance.

 

By the time I got home and walked through the front door, it was well past 9:00 and there was a couple of boxes of delivery pizza on the breakfast nook table. I could hear the sounds of football playing in the background; Dad had clearly decided on a stereotypical relaxing night.

 

It was weird to me how normal it should be for Dad to be watching Sunday night football, but now it just felt forced. Like this down-home mechanic watching football on his recliner was just an act in our family’s dramatic comedy.

 

I grabbed a slice of pizza with my free hand and walked to the entryway of the living room. Sure enough, there he was, beer in hand, watching the game.  

 

“Hey, just letting you know I’m home.”

 

He glanced from the TV at me “Oh, good. Have fun with Veronica?”

 

“Yeah, it was fine.”

 

“What do you have there?” he noticed the dress bag.

 

“Oh, just a dress Veronica didn’t want any more. I might wear it to her confirmation.”

 

He nodded, seemingly half listening.

 

“I’m going to go on up to bed. I’m exhausted.”

 

No sooner had I hung the dress bag in my closet did my phone made the familiar message jingle from my back pocket.

 

**_Sweet Pea:_ ** _Hey you ;) What are ya doin?_

I couldn’t help but smile.

 

 **Me:** Just got home from visiting Veronica, actually. What’s up?

 

 **Sweet Pea:** Yuck!

 

 **Me:** Yuck?

 

 **Sweet Pea:** Spoiled Northsider. You should come hang out with us and Bash at the Wyrm tonight.

 

No surprise, Bash was going to be out late again. It was really tempting, and if I was being honest, I could really use a drink after the events of the day. At the same time, I was exhausted and we had school the next day.

 

 **Me:** Nah, it’s been a long day and tbh I don’t wanna leave my room.

 

 **Sweet Pea:** Cool, that works.

 

I can’t describe how cool I felt at that very moment. Bash’s friends wanted to hang out with me just as much as him! I smiled all the way through my shower and it didn’t go away until I crawled into bed.  My phone jingled again.

 

 **Sweet Pea:** Hey, look outside.

 

I hopped out of bed to my window saw that Sweet Pea was standing in the front yard waving at me for the second night in a row.

 

I waved and pointed towards my phone hoping to indicate that I’d text him back just as I saw two other figures, which I immediately realized to be Bash and Jug, walking up behind him and heading towards the house. _My_ house.

 

 **Me:** What are y’all doing?!

 

He looked up at me before responding on his phone.

 

 **Sweet Pea:** I wanted to hang out with you some more and you said you didn’t want to leave your room. So here I am.


End file.
